The ‘Ferris Bueller’ Ferrari Will Change Hands But Never Be Driven, Just Like Cameron’s Dad Intended
Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and spend a third of a million dollars on a car that can’t be driven every once in a while, you might miss it.
One of the most iconic prop cars in movie history was auctioned off this past Saturday, December 17th, as an anonymous bidder bought the iconic 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off for a whopping $337,500. The mysterious collector now owns the reconstructed prop that was once wantonly launched from a lofty garage in the Chicago suburbs by the newly empowered Cameron Frye as a grand “F— You” to his old man.
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There’s only one catch — the iconic car isn’t a car at all. It has no engine, no driveshaft, and it has never — and never will — burn rubber on the Chicago streets. Mr. Frye had the last laugh after all.
Though the replica may not be a genuine Ferrari, it’s almost as rare as a real California Spyder. The facsimile was fabricated by Modena Design and Development, one of three such fakes made for Ferris Bueller, of which there were 50 total replicas built by the company before Ferrari sent them a “cease and desist” order, allegedly because the design of the fakes were startlingly accurate to the design of the original, just without, you know, all the car stuff.
An actual 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder would be worth somewhere in the ballpark of $15 million, making the iconic prop seem like a steal before the hood is popped. However, only one Spyder, real or fake, was an integral part of arguably the most iconic moment of Gen X rebellion in movie history. The fake Ferrari plummeting backwards out the Fryes’ glass garage down a thick wooded hill is one of the most memorable images of the 1980s, and the preservation of the pivotal prop is of paramount importance.
Hopefully the new owner cares for the not-car better than Cameron Frye or his old man ever could — until a new owner takes the fake wheel. The car is back on auction for over half a million dollars at the same auction house where it was bought this past Saturday. Who’s going to buy it and preserve a piece of movie history? Bueller? Bueller?
